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St Benedicts Kakamba volleyball team (yellow) reached the final of USSSA Ankole zone and will be representing at national level for the first time
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By Our Reporter
St Benedict Vocational School Kakamba will be making its journey to a national schools sports championship for the first time in the many years the school has existed.
This follows their impressive performances at the just-concluded USSSA Ankole Zone Ball Games II in Rubaare, Ntungamo, where both the boys’ volleyball and girls’ netball teams reached the finals.
It should be noted that these two school teams were taking part in their first-ever zonal competitions in these disciplines.
St Benedicts Kakamba volleyball team (yellow) reached the final of USSSA Ankole zone and will be representing at national level for the first time
Reaching the finals on both fronts was not only a landmark achievement on their maiden appearance but also earned them a direct slot to the national USSSA Ball Games II championship, set for Tororo from July 9–19.
The netball team, competing for the first time at this level, overcame tough hurdles throughout the championship, including a string of narrow wins en route to the final.
St Benedicts Voc Kakamba Netball team reached their maiden USSSA Ankole zone finals and will be representing at national level
First, they secured a commanding 20–16 round-of-16 win against St Catherine before narrowly beating Sacred Heart Mushanga 13–12 in the quarterfinals. This was followed by another nail-biting 18–17 semifinal win against former champions Mbarara Army before falling 25–17 to eventual and defending champions Kibatsi High School.
The boys’ volleyball team also made a statement when they defeated defending champions St Augustine Minor Seminary 2–0 in the quarterfinals and then eliminated last year’s finalists and former winners Ntare School 2–0 in the semifinals. They could not get past 2017 winners Burembe SS in the final, losing 2–0, but they had already made their mark, reaching the final on their debut.
Why the fast-rising profile?
St Benedict Kakamba is not new to the education landscape of Isingiro district, although it has been in existence for less than a decade. For a long time, the small institution had been overshadowed by the strong competition posed by traditional sports powerhouses in the region.
However, the school’s fortunes began to change with the arrival of sports-enthusiast Rev. Fr. Pastore Mujuni last year. Since taking the helm, he has boosted the sports department with better equipment, qualified technical staff, and enticing study waivers for talented student-athletes, even while working with tight budgets.
It should be noted that Fr. Mujuni was also the brain behind the establishment of a strong and competitive St Augustine Minor Seminary in Ntungamo, which quickly became a football and volleyball powerhouse in the zone, making its maiden national boys’ football championship appearance in 2022.
It is no wonder, therefore, that St Benedict has achieved such swift progress in school sports during the few months Fr. Mujuni has been head teacher.
The two teams will be among the top Ankole representatives at the championship in Tororo. While they will be at this level to gain lessons and experience, their appearance in the finals on debut — in a fairly competitive Ankole zone — will be enough preparation to make a good challenge at national level.
Torch Media Africa
